Tami Sawyer pleaded guilty to 21 counts in federal court in Eugene this afternoon; her husband, Kevin, to one.

The Bend couple, charged with multiple counts stemming from alleged real estate fraud, saw their defense derailed by the trial court judge’s ruling on the first day.

Tami Sawyer’s attorney, Mark Blackman, told U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken that his entire defense was based on the couple’s ability to repay their debts. But the judge ruled that whether the pair believed they could repay did not negate whether they committed fraud, and therefore the defense would not be allowed before a jury.

Kevin Sawyer, a former Bend Police captain, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.

More to come in The Bulletin online and in print Wednesday.